Perseverance and Tenacity
When Lisa Guess needs to focus on a project she throws herself into it. “I block time on my calendar, put aside my phone, decide on a specific goal for that time and dive in,” she said.
It is that perseverance and tenacity that makes Guess valuable to Juniper Networks. As vice president of systems engineering for the $4.6 billion networking technology company, Guess works in an environment of creating innovative technologies to help customers connect ideas, compete and thrive in an ever-changing world.
Guess was instrumental in Juniper’s earlier technology transition from hardware-based networking solutions to virtualized software oriented solutions. Her colleagues describe her as a selfless leader who works diligently to develop and mentor her engineering team.
Guess is also credited with bringing a more diverse talent pool to Juniper with an internship program to help augment skills transformation with digital natives with software expertise. As a female engineer, she encourages young women to pursue bold aspirations and challenge the status quo. Her ongoing support to hiring more women in technology is making a meaningful difference at the company.
Guess said that being a woman in her profession has meant “learning how to accomplish things in my own style.” She says clarity of purpose, and a conviction to carry it out are the most important qualities a woman leader can have. “Be visible in your mission,” she said.
She lives by the words fairness, honesty, integrity, and says courage to do the right thing is imperative to success.
